


Unexpected Encounter

by missingnolovefic



Category: Rooster Teeth/Achievement Hunter RPF
Genre: Alternate Universe - Grand Theft Auto Setting, Dad!Ryan, Fake AH Crew, Fluff, Gen, Kid Fic, big brother!Jeremy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-09-21
Updated: 2016-09-21
Packaged: 2018-08-16 14:37:44
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,766
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8106142
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/missingnolovefic/pseuds/missingnolovefic
Summary: Ryan crashes at Jeremy's apartment while he's gone... and finds out why Lil J so rarely invites them over.AKA the au where Jeremy grew up on the street and his cats are streetkids he took under his wing.





	

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Kayssna](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kayssna/gifts).



> For the quick fic trade with the lovely [kayssna](http://kayssna.tumblr.com).

“Don't poke him, Zip!” a voice hissed, followed by the sound of a body being dragged away.

“Why not?” a young voice replied, petulantly. A light slap, like someone hit the kid over the head.

“Idiot!” a third voice growled, deeper than the other two. “He might be dangerous!”

“You don't know that,” the young voice said sullenly, and he got the feeling the kid was crossing their arms over their chest.

He evened out his breathing, hoping they didn't realize he'd woken up. His mind felt hazy, almost like he'd been drugged. He couldn't remember how he got here, his memory fuzzy. There was a shoot-out and then-

“Shut up!” the first voice scattered his thoughts, and he concentrated on the present once more. “Of course he's dangerous, he's the fucking Vagabond!”

A hitched breath, like a stifled gasp. Ryan's fingers twitched, and he wondered if they'd taken his weapons or if he could reach his knife or gun in time to defend himself. Did he get himself kidnapped? The lads would never let him live it down if that was the case.

“What's a wha-gay-bound?” the young voice asked guilelessly, and there was a long pause. Then a shuffle, like one of the others got on their knees in front of the kid, a shift of clothing.

“Zip,” the first voice said urgently, “You see the mask on the floor?”

“The black one?” the kid asked curiously, and it wasn't hard to imagine them tilting their head and squinting.

“Yes,” the other answered, tone still insistent. “And notice the face paint on his face? I know it's smudged, but you can still make out the skull pattern.”

“Oh!” Zip exclaimed, only to be immediately hushed by their two companions. They continued more quietly, “He's the black skull guy, right?”

“Yeah,” the third voice grumbled, then sighed. “Calls himself Vagabond. You gotta be more careful, Zip.”

“Sorry, Book,” Zip mumbled sheepishly.

There was another silence, and Ryan cracked open an eye to take in his surroundings. His side was burning badly, a cool breeze hitting his torso so he must have lost his jacket and shirt at some point. He was lying on something – too hard to be a bed, but too soft to be the floor. Squinting, he could barely make out a TV and a table.

His gaze settled on three kids huddled together by an armchair. He blinked, surprised, but the kids weren't looking his way – the bigger ones were busy with the young one, Zip?, who was in turn staring abashedly at the carpet.

Not kidnapped, then.

He snapped his eyes shut instinctively when one of the kids – dark-skinned with a wild mob of black hair, bigger than the other two – lifted his head. His heart was beating fast, but he was mostly confused. Where was he? Why were there kids here?

“You think he's here to kill Jeremy?” one of the older ones asked grimly, and the tension in the room rose back up immediately.

“Well, he's not doing a good job of it,” the other big kid snarked, but the voice was thinner than before. Another pause, then, “He can't be after stealing something, right?”

“He's bleeding all over the couch,” Zip pointed out, sounding very reasonable.

“Yes, Zip, we kinda noticed,” the other kid replied, amusement lightening the tone. “It's very mean of him.”

“No, Scoot!” Zip protested, and Ryan imagined the kid frowning up at the older ones. “That's not what I mean!”

The other two shushed the kid again, and Zip sighed dramatically. Probably rolled their eyes, too, for good measure.

“He's _hurt,_ Scoot,” Zip continued, more quietly and exasperatedly. “Would you break in to kill someone when you were bleeding all over the floor?”

A long silence followed, and Ryan cracked an eye open to find the other kids staring at the young one, speechless.

“That- that's a good point, Zip,” the kid with the dark mob of hair answered after a long moment, and the brunette ruffled the younger kid's ginger hair affectionately.

“Good thinking, twerp,” they said, grinning down at Zip.

“Scooter!” the kid protested, ducking away from the older kid's hand. Then Zip pouted up at the other two, continuing. “If either of _you_ were hurt, I'd run to Jeremy for help, too!”

Jeremy. He was at Lil J's place.

Made sense, if he was hurt. His side was still burning, a gunshot wound probably. Blood loss would explain the hazy feeling, too. He must've managed to at least bandage the wound, though, or else he might've already bled out. That would explain his missing clothes, as well.

It didn't explain the kids, however.

Jeremy was away on a job for Geoff, Ryan vaguely recalled. Were the kids squatting in his apartment, then? But no, they knew Jeremy lived here, must know him a little, and he would've noticed if the door was open already when he broke in. At least, he had to assume, memory still too hazy for comfort. They talked about Jeremy, though, with what seemed to be a modicum of concern. And-

And they were kids. He'd always had a soft spot for kids. As, he suspected, had Jeremy.

“You think Jeremy knows him?” the deep voice – by process of elimination, it had to be Book – asked, sounding dubious.

“He does, in fact,” Ryan announced gruffly, sitting up. The kids tensed, the brunette – Scooter? - stepping in front of the youngest one. Ryan arched an eyebrow, but chose not to comment. Instead, he looked down, taking in the bandage wrapped around his lower torso. The white turned dark crimson and pink to the side, and he dimly remembered cleaning the graze in the bathroom.

Shaking his head, he looked up, noticing that Book had placed himself in between him and the others. His dark fringe was falling into his brown eyes, nearly hiding how warily he watched Ryan. The boy was tall, gangly limbs promising to fill in nicely when he grew. Behind him the lanky brunette was biting their lip, hair short and clothes at least two sizes to big. Ginger locks peeked over Scooter's shoulder, Zip having climbed on the armchair to see better. Ryan was bad at judging ages in kids, but he assumed Book was no older than 14, Zip somewhere around 8 or 9 and Scooter somewhere in between.

“We're in the same crew,” Ryan offered after a moment, hands very visibly in his lap. Book didn't relax, but Zip perked up, curious.

“That doesn't have to mean a thing,” Scooter pointed out warily, and Ryan turned to look at... her? Him? Hard to tell.

“It doesn't have to, no,” he conceded, inclining his head. “It does, though, in this case.”

“How so?” Scooter challenged him, lifting their chin and narrowing their eyes.

“Jeremy is part of the main crew,” Ryan explained calmly, touching his bandage with a grimace. “The Fakes take care of each other.”

Scooter's eyes followed his movements, and their mouth pursed as they took him in.

“Oh! Is that why you came here?” Zip asked excitedly, before trailing off and frowning. “But Jeremy's not here.”

Scooter's gaze sharpened, and they exchanged a look with Book.

“Which you would know,” Book said slowly, like he was feeling his way through the words. “If you are indeed in the same crew.”

Ryan's lips twitched up.

“You kids are clever,” he praised them, and a light flush spread over Book's face. “I thought his apartment would be empty. It was close by, and I didn't think Lil J would mind. I didn't realize he would have... guests.”

Book snorted, crossing his arms. Even Zip stayed quiet, watching everything with big eyes. Oh, they were clever kids indeed. Something twisted in Ryan's chest. Never let anyone know where you live, and that Lil J let them stay while he was gone told Ryan more than he needed to know. More than likely, the kids had nowhere else to go.

It was a wonder their pride allowed them to accept this kind of charity, though. In his experience, street kids were wary of strangers and their motives. Which meant they knew Jeremy, enough to trust him.

And, maybe more importantly, Jeremy trusted them. Enough to let them stay in his place while he was away.

Curious.

He wrenched his wandering thoughts back under control and gave the kids a small smile as he stood up. Book and Scooter tensed, but Zip only cocked his head.

“Well, the least I can do is cook you kids breakfast,” Ryan declared, wincing as pain shot up his side. “Any preferences?”

The kids looked at each other, clearly startled. Then Zip climbed off the armchair, stepping out from behind Scooter despite their attempt to tug him back.

“Pancakes?” he asked hopefully, and Ryan laughed, setting off for the kitchen. Amused, he noticed the older kids watching him carefully. None of them had given him any indication of which room the kitchen was in – clever, clever kids.

No wonder Jeremy liked them.

 

* * *

 

Ryan was waiting for him outside the meeting room after his debrief. He gave the other man a quick nod as he fell in step with him, wondering as to what he might want.

“Lil J.”

“Vagabond,” he returned the greeting, mindful of the handful grunts running around the base.

They walked in silence through the building and out into the parking lot. Jeremy shot Ryan curious looks, but the mask made him hard to read. They stopped by Jeremy's car (bright green with black highlights, almost the reverse of the crew's business car), and he waited patiently, deciding to wait Ryan out.

“I owe you a first aid kit,” Ryan finally said, giving him a meaningful look. Jeremy stiffened, immediately drawing the connection.

“Broke into my apartment again, did you,” he said faux nonchalantly, but his shoulders were tense. Ryan glanced at him out of the corner of his eyes.

“Relax. They're cute kids.” Ryan paused, stuffing his hands into his jacket and staring off to the side. “I checked up on them a couple times. If you ever need a babysitter...”

Jeremy let out a startled laugh, shaking his head. “I don't think they'd appreciate it, at least worded like that.” He grinned ruefully, and Ryan grinned behind his mask. “But thanks.”

And if he asked Ryan to check up on them again when he was gone on a longer job, well. They'd just have to put up with that. Considering they didn't hightail it out of there when Ryan found them, it might just work.

**Author's Note:**

> I might add a couple more scenes onto this story later, if the muse is willing (and if there's any interest).
> 
> R&R, concrit welcome! Feel free to hit me up on my [tumblr](http://miss-ingno.tumblr.com) or my [ragehappy sideblog](http://funfahcts.tumblr.com)


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